


Say It With A Card

by 6121AU



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Gift Giving, High School, Love Letters, M/M, Secret Admirer, Secret Crush, Valentine's Day, gift shop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 16:57:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20429333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/6121AU/pseuds/6121AU
Summary: Jongdae, who works at a greeting card store, wants nothing more than to be given a Valentine of his own. But what happens when he has to sell one to the guy he secretly likes?





	Say It With A Card

Jongdae was restocking the plushies in the rotating shelf out front when a guy came. He just stood there, didn't say anything, with his hands in the pockets of his long black coat. Jongdae almost dropped the purple unicorn.

"Hello," He managed to squeak. "It's Chanyeol, right?"

"Yes," said Chanyeol. "Hello, Jongdae. I... didn't know you worked here."

Chanyeol didn't smile. He never does, unless he's truly happy or amused. It's one of the reasons he's never invited to parties... and one of the things that make him so cool.

He looked around at the red heart-shaped pillows, silk roses, pewter picture frames and the plushies on the shelf, then at the rows of greeting card shelves behind them. Jongdae had no idea what he was thinking of. It was just like in school, where Chanyeol would sit like some kind of marble statue watching the others play rubbish bin basketball.

"So what are looking for?" Jongdae asked, going into salesman mode and feeling stupid, because he never had a customer he knew before. "A card, or a present... anything I can help you with?"

All the pink and red in the store suddenly made his stomach jump. It was February tenth. If Chanyeol wanted _that_ kind of card and/or present... for someone else... how was he supposed to sell it to him?

Jongdae hoped he wasn't looking too upset, and just in case, he bent down to pick up a white teddy bear holding a heart in its paws and put it on the top shelf so he wouldn't have to look Chanyeol in the eye.

"I'm looking for a Valentine's Day card," he said. "For... a boy I know."

_Okay. Pull yourself together. You knew that was coming. You don't know him... you don't even talk to him... he's just another customer._

Jongdae took a leaf out of Chanyeol’s coat and tried to look completely unconcerned, but from the way his eyes flickered over his face, he was not sure how well it worked.

Chanyeol stepped past Jongdae into the store; he could see drops of water shining in his hair and on his collar. So it was snowing again outside, which meant once his shift was over, he would be soaked through by the time the bus arrived.

"That section's over there," Jongdae said, trailing a few steps after Chanyeol; he already spotted it before he said a word. "I'll just... go on here."

He gave one last adjusting touch to a beanbag Cupid's underpants and began to fold up the now empty carton for recycling.

"Jongdae."

He spun around.

_How does he do that? How the hell does he do that without even trying? _He never really liked his name but when Chanyeol says it... maybe it's his voice, or maybe the slow, deliberate way he says it. Sometimes Jongdae thinks if a hundred different people were calling him, he’d still be able to pick out Chanyeol’s voice from all the others.

"Yes?"

Chanyeol was taking off his coat in a confused sort of way, as if his arms might get lost halfway up the sleeves. He didn't look at Jongdae.

"Could you come here, please? I... I'm not sure which one to choose."

Jongdae smoothed his blue salesman vest and strolled on over in his best 'everything's cool' style. "Well, it depends on who the card's for. Boyfriend cards are over—"

"He’s not my boyfriend," Chanyeol blurted out, looking more embarrassed – and frankly, more human – than Jongdae had ever seen him.

A tight knot began to form in the pit of his stomach. This had to be one of the most important sales he ever made... Chanyeol’s happiness depended on it. If the boy didn't like the card he chose, would he blame Jongdae?

"How about a funny one then?" Jongdae suggested. "They're cute."

Chanyeol turned to him with one arched eyebrow.

"Would _you_ like it if a boy gave you this?" He asked, holding up an example.

It was the one with the squirrel. A fat, crazy-eyed cartoon squirrel, fondling an acorn and saying in squiggly red letters: _I've gone nuts..._ He didn't need to open it to know that inside it read: _No, not that kind. I'm nutty over you!_

"Ugh, no!" He said.

"No?" Chanyeol looked genuinely curious.

"Well, your — uh, the recipient of the card might," Jongdae backtracked. "I don't know what he's like. You see, these cards – " He waved his hand around him, indicating the shelves. "They're as different as the people who buy them. You have think about his personality, his tastes, what he wears, how he acts, things like that. Does he laugh and talk a lot? Is he emotional or more of a quiet type? Does he have a problem with fluffy animals or roses? Because if he does, you might want to try a different store."

Chanyeol smiled. It was a small smile, just a little quirk at the corners of his mouth, but his entire handsome face was transformed.

"He does laugh and talk a lot," he said. "But when he thinks no one's watching, he can look very serious, very thoughtful... It makes me wonder what he thinks about. I find him... fascinating."

Chanyeol’s eyes, which had been looking over Jongdae’s shoulder at the mysterious boy in his thoughts, suddenly focused on him again. He could see it, like changing the setting on a camera lens.

"You seem to have put a lot of thought into the greeting card business," Chanyeol said. "Why is it you work here, anyway? What do you enjoy the most?"

"Well..."

It was a conversation. A real conversation. The most he ever heard Chanyeol say before today was during his PowerPoint projects in class. Now here he was, asking Jongdae for his personal opinion — and it took an embarrassingly long time before he recovered from his surprise enough to actually voice it.

"I like cute things, I guess," Jongdae said with a shrug. "Even when they're a bit too kitschy... like those birthday angel figurines or Disney snowglobes. And I like looking at the people who buy them and imagining what will happen... like, I see a middle-aged lady buying one of those ballerina music boxes and I'm thinking, _Maybe that's for her daughter_. And I picture the little girl unwrapping the package and then squeaking out loud because that's exactly what she wanted. Or I see all these people buying Valentines right now, and I can imagine what kind of a love story is behind each one...I know it's silly and naïve, but I like to imagine that the stuff in this store isn't just a cash grab... that it's actually there to make people happy."

A wrinkle of concentration formed between Chanyeol’s eyebrows as he listened.

"I've never thought of these places like this before," he said. "You have a point. Listen, Jongdae... can I ask you a personal question?"

Chanyeol took a small step closer. He was tall, but with him so close, Jongdae suddenly realised he was way taller than he imagined – he would have to bend down to kiss him.

Not that Jongdae was thinking about kissing.

"Sure."

"Do you have any favorites out of all these... cute things? Anything you'd like to buy for yourself? I could use the suggestion for him."

The floor seemed to drop under Jongdae like an elevator plummeting downwards. For _him_ — of course. He was starting to dislike this boy and he was half tempted to sell Chanyeol the nutty squirrel card after all.

"To be honest," Jongdae said, with a laugh that came out more like a squeak, "I already own most of the stuff I like. Employee discount, you know. There's only one thing I..."

He stopped, glancing over at the card shelf they were still standing next to.

"Yes?" Chanyeol waved his hand in a 'keep going' gesture. The look in his eyes was intense; it was like standing in front of a hot stove.

Jongdae caved in and handed him _the card_, along with its scarlet envelope. It was the last copy left and he really hoped his hand wasn't shaking. Chanyeol took it in both hands and opened it solemnly, like a book.

It showed a black and white photograph of the Eiffel Tower above an avenue of winter bare, snow covered trees. The picture was printed with silver snowflakes that shimmered when you moved the card and red cursive letters in the same material, reading: _The most romantic place in the world..._ The inside, which Chanyeol was studying intently, completed the sentence:_ ...is anywhere you are._

Jongdae couldn't explain it, but to him that card meant something — more than any he’d ever sold. It touched exactly the right note: elegant without being stiff, romantic without being mushy. He considered buying this last copy for himself; only the sheer pitifulness of buying his own Valentine stopped him so far. As for Chanyeol, he never had the guts to give it to _him_.

But now he _was_ giving it to him...only not in the way he dreamed.

"You think he'll like it?" Jongdae managed to say.

Chanyeol’s eyes shone like the snowflakes on the card. "I know he will," he said softly, closing the card for another look at the photograph. "It's perfect."

So he noticed too.

Feeling like he was moving through fog, Jongdae got behind the cash counter, checked the price and chirped, "Four sixty-five please, would you like a bag?" in the 'friendly' tone his boss told him always to use. He never heard his own voice sound so fake before.

Chanyeol took a crumpled five dollar out of his pocket and shook his head to show he did not want a bag; Jongdae counted out the change, thanking his stars for the calculator because at this point he could barely add one plus one. His hands were cold and sticky with sweat; he had to open a new roll of nickels and it felt like ages until he could rip the paper apart. Once he had the thirty-five cents together, he dropped them on the counter to avoid touching Chanyeol’s hand and the rattling noise they made was so loud, even the hairdressers next door might have noticed.

Chanyeol shrugged into his coat and slipped the card into the inside pocket. He made a sudden move with his right hand, as if he wanted to — what? Shake hands? High-five? — and drew it away again.

"Thank you, Jongdae," he said, with his most beautiful smile yet. "I'll see you at school."

It was as if his face were a stained-glass window with the sun behind it; it made Jongdae dizzy just to look at him.

"You're welcome," said that phony chirpy voice.

Chanyeol walked away with his head held high, flicking his scarf over his shoulder in an almost triumphant way. At the front, next to the plushie shelf, he turned back once and waved at him. By the time Jongdae remembered his manners and waved back, he was already gone.

When Valentine's Day arrived, Jongdae got three cards. Two were from his friends, who bought them at another store as usual to surprise him. They were the roses and teddy bear kind, nothing special; it was the third card that made him flip.

It had been slotted through the side of his locker door, meaning whoever it was knew which locker was his. That bright red envelope meant business; there were no names on it, sending his mind into a crazy spiral of conjectures about who the giver could possibly be. His lab partner in chemistry with the polo shirts and sunburn? That senior boy who won a prize for his emo love poem? The girls playing a joke on him? Or could it be...

Jongdae knew that shade of red.

For the first time, he understood why people always talk about their hearts thumping. His did; he could hear the blood pounding in his ears like the bass in a song. People were rushing past behind him talking loudly, but he paid them no more attention than the trickle of a river. Some girl bumped him; he forgot to apologise. That card felt like the center of the universe.

Jongdae opened the envelope right there.

It _was_ his card.

Inside, in a small precise hand slanted to the right, new words had been added:

_To Jongdae, a beautiful and fascinating boy, who makes his workplace romantic just by being there._

_Yours,_

_Chanyeol_


End file.
